Whereas self-propelled hard discs undergo motility-induced phase separation, self-propelled rods exhibit a variety of nonequilibrium phenomena, including clustering, collective motion, and spatio-temporal chaos. In this work, we present a theoretical framework representing active particles by continuum fields. This concept combines the simplicity of alignment-based models, enabling analytical studies, and realistic models that incorporate the shape of self-propelled objects explicitly. By varying particle shape from circular to ellipsoidal, we show how nonequilibrium stresses acting among self-propelled rods destabilize motility-induced phase separation and facilitate orientational ordering, thereby connecting the realms of scalar and vectorial active matter. Though the interaction potential is strictly apolar, both, polar and nematic order may emerge and even coexist. Accordingly, the symmetry of ordered states is a dynamical property in active matter. The presented framework may represent various systems including bacterial colonies, cytoskeletal extracts, or shaken granular media.
This content will become publicly available on September 1, 2024
We use coarse-grained molecular-dynamics simulations to study the motility of a 2D vesicle containing self-propelled rods, as a function of the vesicle bending rigidity and the number density, length, and activity of the enclosed rods. Above a threshold value of the rod length, distinct dynamical regimes emerge, including a dramatic enhancement of vesicle motility characterized by a highly persistent random walk. These regimes are determined by clustering of the rods within the vesicle; the maximum motility state arises when there is one long-lived polar cluster. We develop a scaling theory that predicts the dynamical regimes as a function of control parameters, and shows that feedback between activity and passive membrane forces govern the rod organization. These findings yield design principles for building self-propelled superstructures using independent active agents under deformable confinement.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1855914
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10484704
- Publisher / Repository:
- Europhysics Letters
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Europhysics Letters
- Volume:
- 143
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 0295-5075
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 67001
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Active particles consume energy stored in the environment and convert it into mechanical motion. Many potential applications of these systems involve their flowing, extrusion, and deposition through channels and nozzles, such as targeted drug delivery and out‐of‐equilibrium self‐assembly. However, understanding their fundamental interactions with flow and boundaries remain incomplete. Herein, experimental and theoretical studies of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) powered self‐propelled gold–platinum nanorods in parallel channels and nozzles are conducted. The behaviors of active (self‐propelled) and passive rods are systematically compared. It is found that most active rods self‐align with the flow streamlines in areas with high shear and exhibit rheotaxis (swimming against the flow). In contrast, passive rods continue moving unaffected until the flow rate is very high, at which point they also start showing some alignment. The experimental results are rationalized by computational modeling delineating activity and rod‐flow interactions. The obtained results provide insight into the manipulation and control of active particle flow and extrusion in complex geometries.
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